Free 'All Tide' East Coast Anchorages

The list of places thus far (as given by respective posters) where it is possible to stay afloat for the night free of charges, rather than pay for a marina berth, or river/creek buoy.
Blackwater:
Lawling Creek
Osea Island
Goldhanger Creek
Bradwell, off the beach
Salcott Creek

Butley River

Medway
Most parts just out of the main channel where there is water all state, barring gas jetty.

River Deben
Above Horse Sand on west bank

Pyefleet Creek, Colne

River Roach
Brankfleet
Yokesfleet Creek
Paglesham

Walton Backwaters
Stone Point

River Stour
Ewerton Ness or
Free buoy at Wrabness

Toyboy pointed out there may be a few unlikely places in the Orwell i.e. Foxes, Woolverstone and SYH. But these would need further clarification before anyone decides to test the waters and sink the hook. My advice is don't go anchoring there and demanding a freebie yet!:)
 
It is understood we have around a dozen rivers to anchor in for free and there are pilot books etc. I have a 20+ year old Jack Coote book. Wonderful aerial shots of the rivers but I would not choose to anchor anywhere today from them. I'm guessing that not many deep keelers do anchor outside overnight these days so I may be flogging a dead horse. Here's my last shot.

If you cruise around these waters in a deep keeler and you like to anchor overnight, or for a tide, I’d appreciate knowing from your personal experience where specifically you choose to do it, and perhaps why. I’m quite sure a few others would too. For instance the Deben is a long river but many choose to anchor at The Rocks. Maybe because there is a pretty tree-lined bank and in the rubber duck you can get ashore on the small beach as well. The Blackwater is a lengthy waterway but most choose the handful anchorages mentioned to stay afloat. Another specific place I like to stay afloat is in the mouth of Thirslet Creek, on the north side, as you are afforded some protection by the spit, yet are close to open water to be away when ready. Shore Ends in the Crouch is another popular place.The lower Thames is 3.5 miles wide but many like to anchor in Ray Gut. Sail a deep keeler? Where do you prefer? I hope this clears any confusion.
 
Stangate and Sharfleet Creeks on the Medway, and just round the corner at Slaughterhouse Point. Pyefleet on the Colne, Osea on the Blackwater, Erwarton Ness and just opposite, Copperas Bay on the Stour, Cliff Reach on the Crouch (and in the big S bend a bit further up, name escapes me), free (or at least uncharged for) buoys in Holehaven on the Thames and Harty Ferry on the Swale (also can anchor at Harty).
 
Alchemist V274 said:
Shhhhh!! Dont talk it up!

Think you pay in Beaulieu River too. But then those South Coast Yotties can afford it, not like us hard up East Coast Sailors.
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Vamoose said:
Poole Harbour thats exactly what happens.. Drop your anchor and a harbour board launch will come alongside and demand an anchoring fee. In Newtown Creek on the Isle of Wight, they ask for a "voluntary" Donation to the RSPB.....". We are still very lucky around here but sadly I wonder for how long.
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Newtown Creek is the National Trust, not the RSPB. Until a few years ago, a little boat came around demanding, completely unlawfully, a fee for anchoring there. This went on until the RYA made it clear that they would take legal action against the NT unless the practice stopped .... now they just ask for a donation. They charge for using the mooring buoys which, as they lay and maintain them, is fair enough I guess.

The Beaulieu River is a special case, not only because I keep my boat there :) but also because the riverbed is one of the few bits of UK tidal water not owned by the Crown. It belongs to Lord Montague (or probably Beaulieu Estates, in effect) and he/they can charge whatever they like. I thought, incidentally, that Dylan was being a bit unfair, sounding off at Lord M about the costs of mooring in the river, in one of his recent videos. There's no doubt that it's quite expensive, but some other places on the South Coast cost more and you are paying for the unspoilt, peaceful nature of the River and for its maintenance as a haven for wildlife, for you to enjoy. Yes, I know that every muddy creek in your area provides this for free, but it's at a premium dahn sarf. :p :)

Don't know much about Poole: there be dragons. :) (Edit: I wonder if visitors to Poole are being charged for anchoring, or just being asked for Harbour Dues? I know the latter are payable by everyone using the harbour and I don't think I've ever heard of a specific charge for anchoring. The Harbour Dues are permitted through by-laws I think, and are therefore perfectly legitimate, however much we may dislike them).

Apologies for non- E.C. Fred Drift: Alchemist and Vamoose started it :)
 
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Can we add another field to the spread sheet for doggy access??

In particular, easy non muddy 24 hr access with suitable doggy walking... Adjacent to said anchoring spots..

With directions.

Ta.
 
I think that many deep keel boats anchor out overnight, our boat is 11.3 metres and draws about 1.7m.

I am very keen on anchoring, not particularly due to cost, but I am a rather miserable sod and love being away from other miserable sods. On most East Coast cruises we will spend the majority of our time at anchor, it is more difficult when we go (local) foreign as we do not know of many overnight anchorages in N France Belgium or coastal Holland.

I would endorse Creek Sailors and Firefly's lists:



Hamford Water is my favourite and even when there are a few boats there you can find room to be away from other folk.

Somebody mentioned the Roach, we have found lots of places to drop a hook around there depending on wind and tide, on the Crouch above Bridgemarsh Island there are lots of options, just because there is no anchor symbol on a chart it does not mean that you cannot spend the night there. On the Colne above Pyefleet we have also found spots to lay overnight outside of the fairway, there are loads of places on The Blackwater that are sheltered enough to spend the night. Any decision to anchor out would always depend on weather forecast and I suspect that different folk has different levels of tolerance in relation to what constitutes a comfortable anchorage, my good lady wife used to find it impossible to kip when at anchor as she was convinced that the dragons would get us but over time has become used to sleeping at anchor and now prefers it.
 
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Toutvabien – it’s lovely to hear your creek crawling in a boat drawing 1.7M.
I was speaking to a chap in a predominantly deep draft cruiser club in the lower Thames area. He was saying how the costs for a weekend or week away have risen over the 30 years he’d been cruising. He sails with his wife and they both prefer the comforts of a marina. Now he has retired and money is harder to come by he has had to limit his sailing to day sails and just the occasional weekend away. His whole family used to come along therefore for him the cost factor at that time wasn’t an issue as the value for six people was considered pretty good. However, they no longer come, which for him has begun to outweigh the costs. He had even considered outing the boat and getting something smaller. My first though was why not use your hook, it’s free. To be fair I don’t’ think it’s as easy as that though, and I couldn’t envisage this chap taking on the type of cruising Toutvabien enjoys. I can only guess as I’m not there yet but cruising a certain way for a lifetime would be a difficult habit to change in later years.
This brings up a thread drifting but deep draft related theory. Feel free to ‘shoot your nets’ if you agree or disagree.
A wise skipper in his 70s, who sailed a Rival 34, once told me a lot of people who harbour plans of owning a bigger boat say they will do it when they retire and have plenty of time to go cruising. The reality is that when the time comes they are not the fit young man/woman anymore. They haven’t got a spare ten years or so to learn the nuances of sailing that 35 foot long keel yacht single-handed, and after a couple of seasons have to sell the boat grumbling that it was hard work. His advice was to get hold of that boat of your dreams when you are a bit younger and fitter and then when the day comes you will have the necessary sailing and handling skills finely honed. I thought what he said makes a lot of sense.
Away for a few days so will not be able to reply.
 
creeksailor said:
A wise skipper in his 70s, who sailed a Rival 34, once told me a lot of people who harbour plans of owning a bigger boat say they will do it when they retire and have plenty of time to go cruising. The reality is that when the time comes they are not the fit young man/woman anymore. They haven’t got a spare ten years or so to learn the nuances of sailing that 35 foot long keel yacht single-handed, and after a couple of seasons have to sell the boat grumbling that it was hard work. His advice was to get hold of that boat of your dreams when you are a bit younger and fitter and then when the day comes you will have the necessary sailing and handling skills finely honed. I thought what he said makes a lot of sense.
Away for a few days so will not be able to reply.
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The very reasons why we bought Full Circle - 35ft in our 50s then slowly made more ergonomic for when we retire. Life on the hook is great for us, leaves more cash for other essentials like the Foie Gras and Laurent Perrier
 
FullCircle said:
The very reasons why we bought Full Circle - 35ft in our 50s then slowly made more ergonomic for when we retire. Life on the hook is great for us, leaves more cash for other essentials like the Foie Gras and Laurent Perrier
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Absolutely agree with that notion, enjoying a few dozen Mersea oysters anchored off of Osea with a glass or two of something reasonably chilled is (imho) quite hard to beat locally, if we are just two or three aboard why I would always want to spend a night in a boat park??
 
I'm not sure I understand the original question. It might be easier to state where you can't anchor than where you can.

Virtually the whole of the East Coast is free to anchor. Then all you need to do is find somewhere of sufficient depth for your boat according to its draught/keel type and the predicted tide, sufficiently protected from the expected weather, and clear of moorings/obstructions/fairways/oyster beds etc. There are several E Coast books available, each of which cover all the obvious and least constrained places.

OP mentioned rivers, but if the wind is light, you can anchor at sea too, just find yourself a suitable lee from a sandbank.
 
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